"Cannot perform the requested operation........"

[Guest]

Using BCM V2 between users, we use the import / export routine. This is OK,
except for the following issue;

We use tasks to follow up calls etc. After an import / export, when looking
for tasks the user gets;

"Cannot perform the requested operation, the command selected is not valid
for the recipient"

This appears when the user is looking up tasks that they have created for
themselves, i.e. it is not like they are trying to look at anyone else’s
tasks.

Is this a database sharing issue (currently not turned on)?

Given that we are on separate machines (no LAN), can we resolve this…and if
needed, how do I share the database with a user who has a completely separate
instance of BCM?

Thanks in advance....Ian

 

[Luther]

The problem is that Tasks, and Calendar items, are stored in each
individual's Outlook PST file.

The issue is the same if you share the BCM database, the Tasks are
still on each user's Outlook file.

BCM v3 beta adds Projects (BCM items stored in BCM db, and
import/exported), and you may be able to use those instead of Outlook
tasks.

 

[Tim P via OfficeKB.com]

Ian,

Because of the shared UI between native Outlook & BCM it is easy to forget
that these are separate apps with dinstinct sets of data items that link
together. You will need to also Import & Export each machine's Outlook PST
in addition to the BCM db. I don't recall from your previous posts whether
you are doing a copy / overwrite between machines or not. Your scenario is
why I would love to see better sharing features among remote users in order
to make this type of collaboration more easy. You might consider using a
hosted Excange service in order to create a public folder of Outlook Tasks,
Appointments, etc. that your users can access but I am not sure how the links
would maintain to these Outlook items after you did an Export/Import of your
BCM data. What Luther states above about v3 is encouraging in that the
excange of data records would be more totally complete within the MSDE db.

-THP

 

[Guest]

Hi Guys,

Once again, thank you for your help and I appreciate your answers.

We have telemarketing guy, (let’s call him machine A) whose role it is to
constantly be calling and emailing out to prospects and doing follow up calls
etc.

Since the “follow up flags†in BCM don’t really help from a time scheduling
perspective, “Tasks†seems the only way to go to schedule the follow ups.

Given the issue described in my previous post, the only way we can work to
synchronise at present is to have him (Machine A), do an export periodically.
This gets imported to Machine B, which then has a full copy of the d/b.

I can’t then do an export / import the other way due to the issue.

So the net result is that machine A and machine B are different.

The good news here is that is since machine A’s role is to speak with fresh
/ new prospects only, then pass them to machine B, this has little or no
business impact. It’s not ideal and I’m sure that other companies won’t like
this method but we live with it.

I hope all that made sense!

Regards….Ian